viii, 343 pages : 28 cm

What's a cake? If you're living in the United States, a cake is a sweet, often layered dessert treat, usually frosted and served at a celebration such as a birthday, a wedding, or an anniversary. In France, patisseries offer edible works of art, combining architectural skill with a facility in combining sugar and flour. China is home to the mooncake, England gives us "puddings" (which are often cakes!), Australia perfected the Pavlova meringue cake in honor of the Russian prima ballerina, and bite-sized fruit fritters are popular in West Africa. Author Krystina Castella became intrigued by the cultural history of cake when she hosted a bake sale with the international students she teaches and each student brought a cake from his or her family's heritage. This collection of international cakes was the beginning of A World of Cake, an adventurous exploration of global cake culture. The fascinating culinary journey includes all kinds of fun-to-read facts, such as "A Field Guide to Cakes," "A World Tour of Cake Holidays," and "Family Trees" for each kind of cake. Clear instructions, illustrations, and hundreds of color photos accompany the recipes. Who knew that edification could be this much fun? Or this delicious?

Includes index

For the love of cake -- Cake walk : a sweet tour of cake history, culture, and language -- North America : sugar and spice and doughnuts are nice -- Latin America : street sweets and festive quinceañera cakes -- Western and Central Europe : pastry artistry and café culture get married -- The British Isles : comfort cakes and high-society delights -- Scandinavia : the romance of berries and liqueur, topped with cream -- Eastern Europe : marzipan, gingerbread, and other fairy-tale cakes -- The Mediterranean : epic confections from balmy climates and ancient cultures -- Africa : deep-fried nibbles and crunchy bananas -- The Middle East : ancient treats and sacred sweets -- The Indian subcontinent : milk sweets, dumplings, and candy confections -- The Far East : good-for-your soul sweets -- Southeast Asia : welcome to the spice islands -- Australia and New Zealand : cakes with character

For the love of cake -- Cake walk : a sweet tour of cake history, culture, and language -- North America : sugar and spice and doughnuts are nice -- Latin America : street sweets and festive quinceanera cakes -- Western and Central Europe : pastry artistry and cafe culture get married -- The British Isles : comfort cakes and high-society delights -- Scandinavia : the romance of berries and liqueur, topped with cream -- Eastern Europe : marzipan, gingerbread, and other fairy-tale cakes -- The Mediterranean : epic confections from balmy climates and ancient cultures -- Africa : deep-fried nibbles and crunchy bananas -- The Middle East : ancient treats and sacred sweets -- The Indian subcontinent : milk sweets, dumplings, and candy confections -- The Far East : good-for-your soul sweets -- Southeast Asia : welcome to the spice islands -- Australia and New Zealand : cakes with character

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